Research: When Swag Backfires
Embroidered T-shirts, discounted tickets, exclusive concerts, and other charity carrots can sometimes rouse people to donate more time and money to nonprofits. But incentives can also stifle giving, finds Dan Ariely, a professor of behavioral economics at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business and author of Predictably Irrational. With his colleagues, Ariely shows that when donors’ gifts are public, nonprofits need not gild the lily by offering trinkets—social approbation is reward enough. But when gifts are private, nonprofits should use loot to inspire even greater generosity.
“Part of the reason we give is so that others will think better of…
Subscription Required
You must be a subscriber to read this article in its entirety. Access to Stanford Social Innovation Review full text online is restricted to paid print subscribers.
Subscribers
To login, please enter your login and password below. Login instructions were sent to the email address you provided upon receipt of payment
*Forgot your username or password? Click here
*Other problems logging in? Email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Not a Subscriber?
Subscribe and you will receive:
* Unlimited access to online articles. You will be emailed instructions for online access upon receipt of payment
* Delivery of the quarterly print magazine delivered to your home or office
* Full access to subscriber-only portions of the SSIR Web site
* Special discounts to Jossey Bass, Social Enterprise Alliance, Fieldstone Alliance
* Exclusive invitations to events and web seminars
Subscribe Now
Subscriber Login
Post a Comment
